More than 60 young people from Bosnia and Herzegovina and Serbia gathered last week at the Regional Leadership Camp in Tjentište, as part of the “Future4Youth” project. The aim of this camp, traditionally organized by CARE Balkans and local partner organizations, was to develop life and leadership skills among youth, empowering them to become responsible leaders in their communities.
The youth leadership camp at Tjentište traditionally includes topics such as leadership, non-violence, gender equality and communication skills. This year, with support of the BAWAG bank from Austria, the camp was enriched with innovative workshops on modern business, marketing, artificial intelligence and finance, adapted to the needs of young leaders of the future. This synergy of education and practical knowledge represents a key innovation in previous work with youth in the region, and made this year’s camp an exceptional experience that offers young people key skills for success.
BAWAG bank CFO Enver Siručić emphasized that they have not had similar projects in our area, and that he is happy to become part of such a camp that brought together young people from two countries.
“Until now, we have not had any projects in this area. Everything we have heard is positive, young people are enjoying themselves but also learning. We also worked with young people on the topic of marketing, artificial intelligence and employment. In addition, we introduced them to various opportunities for investments and savings, which we find important for young people to learn,” said Siručić.
BAWAG bank CFO Enver Siručić
By combining traditional camp themes with modern business trends, this year’s programme provided a comprehensive approach to youth development, focusing on their current needs, but also on preparation for future professional challenges. Young people, through various activities and workshops, had the opportunity to develop their leadership skills, build mutual cooperation and networking, as well as to acquire new knowledge that is necessary for their future development, both personal and professional.
Once again, the camp confirmed the importance of the regional cooperation and it has contributed to connecting youth from the two countries. The participants expressed satisfaction with the opportunity to meet their peers from neighboring countries, socialize and work together on joint projects. The organizers emphasized that one of the greatest values of the camp is the development of new friendships and the connection of youth who share similar challenges and hopes for the future.
CARE Balkans regional directress, Sumka Bučan, stated that the camp is traditionally organized within the “Future for Youth” project and that it has always had a regional character. This year, the camp gathered over 60 young people from Bosnia and Herzegovina and Serbia, in cooperation with partner organizations, which further strengthens its importance and contributes to connecting and networking youth from the region.
“It is especially important that we have a partnership with the BAWAG bank from Austria, which also financially supports the activities, and the presence of 12 experts who delivered lectures on marketing, artificial intelligence, CV writing, and the like is even more valuable,” said Bučan.
She highlighted that the “Future for Youth” is a programme of life skills development.
“By that I mean changing the attitudes and behaviour of young people, that is, to make them more responsible in society, but we also enriched the programme with topics that will prepare them for the labour market and the business world. We promote the positive aspect of leadership so that young people in their communities are responsible and contribute to society,” Bučan said, stressing that there were many workshops and activities aimed at building leadership skills.
Sumka Bučan, CARE Balkans Directoress
Sara Dereta, camp coordinator, pointed out that the best indicator of the camp’s success is the great interest of young people, as well as the emotional farewells at the end of each year: “The camp shows us how much young people need these kinds of events and how important it is for them to meet and socialize with their peers from the region. They share the same problems, hopes, and joys, and through these gatherings all prejudices disappear.”
Young people returned from Tjentište full of impressions, new knowledge and friendships. This camp is not only a space for learning but also a platform for personal development, building self-confidence and leadership.
Maša Obradović from Belgrade is at the camp for the second time. She is full of impressions and said that this was a great opportunity they have used to learn something new.
“We are constantly in nature, we socialize and we really enjoyed it. We learned that being a leader means being active, being compassionate, being a better person, and I believe that after such workshops we are really better people. The knowledge we gained will serve us in everyday life. I am grateful to the organizers on such an occasion,” said Maša.
Sedin Husić from Tuzla was at Tjentište last year as well, and he emphasized that this camp is, unmatched, the dearest to him.
“We had a lot of activities, but that’s the charm. There were interesting workshops, as well as exercises on how to become a leader, write a CV and the like.”
The success of this year’s camp is reflected in the enthusiasm of the young people who returned home richer for new friendships, experiences and practical skills. Through various workshops and activities, the participants turned theory into practice, developing teamwork and leadership skills. They emphasized that the acquired skills are immediately applicable in everyday life and future professional challenges, which makes the camp an invaluable platform for their development.
About project:
Project Future4Youth aims at introducing and institutionalizing life skills education in formal educational systems in the Balkans. Life skills education is urgently needed in formal education to develop the skills of future generations to build healthy relationships based on gender equality, to help them understand their physical and emotional development, and to prevent all forms of violence in their everyday life. These skills are crucial for preserving the physical and mental health of young people.
• CARE Balkans will cooperate with three long-term local partners: Institute for Population and Development (Sarajevo), Institute Perpetuum Mobile (Banja Luka) and Centre E8 (Belgrade).
• The focus will be on working with high school students, both in schools and outside the school environment, using the Program Y methodology. This programme has shown that different aspects of work with young people – “Be a Man” Clubs/Youth Clubs, campaigns, workshops – must be combined in order to contribute to the improvement of the lifestyle of young men and women.
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